Page:The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, vol. 1.djvu/362

 94. MEMORIAL TO J. CHAMBERLAIN

DURBAN, May 22, 1896

TO

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, HER MAJESTY’S PRINCIPAL SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES, LONDON

THE MEMORIAL OF THE UNDERSIGNED INDIAN BRITISH SUBJECTS RESIDING IN THE COLONY OF NATAL

HUMBLY SHEWETH THAT :

Your Memorialists hereby respectfully beg to lay before your Honour the following for your consideration with regard to the Franchise Law Amendment Bill introduced by the Natal Government in the Natal Legislative Assembly, which was read a third time on the 13th day of May, 1896, with certain amendments.

The following is the text of the Bill as it appeared in the Natal Government Gazette dated the 3rd March, 1896:


 * To amend the Law relating to the Franchise:


 * Whereas it is expedient to amend the law relating to the Franchise,
 * Be it therefore enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly of Natal, as follows:


 * 1. Act No. 25, 1894, shall be and the same is hereby repealed.


 * 2. Save those who come under the operation of Section 3 of this Act, no persons shall be qualified to have their names inserted in any List of Electors or in any Voters’ Roll, or to vote as Electors within the meaning of Section 22 of the Constitution Act of 1893, or of any law relating to the election of members of the Legislative Assembly, who (not being of European origin) are Natives, or descendants in the male lines of Natives of countries which have not hitherto possessed active representative institutions, unless they shall first obtain an order from the Governor-in-Council exempting them from the operation of this Act.
 * 3. The provisions of Section 2 of this Act shall not apply to persons of the class mentioned in that Section whose names are rightly contained in any Voters’ Roll in force at the date of the promulgation of this Act, and who are otherwise competent and qualified as electors.

The Act repealed by Section I of the above Bill is as follows: